See You Later
by IguessIwritestuff
Summary: She wasn't actually leaving. This wasn't real. (One-shot)


If someone had told Marco Diaz that after three years his best friend would be snatched away from under his fingertips he wouldn't have wanted to believe them. It was too much for his little fourteen-year-old mind to handle. Even his barely eighteen-year-old mind couldn't handle it. He knew it was coming, but he tried not to think about it until the final couple of weeks Star would spend with his family. It was near Christmas, the pair spending time putting up lights and wrapping presents and even decorating the massive tree in the Diaz living room, giggling over Marco's desire for perfect ornament placement and Star's mishaps getting herself tangled in the tinsel.

Marco knew what was going to happen but he refused to accept it.

He suppressed his emotions when he saw a single pink suitcase by the front door, the pile growing and growing daily.

The mountain of hair products and flavored lip glosses flooding over to Marco's side of the bathroom counter shrunk and shrunk.

Marco walked into Star's room once that week. It was almost exactly how it had been when she'd first arrived, the giant turret gone, the curtains the same dull beige they had been before. The only thing reminiscent of Star's presence was the distinguishing smell, peach and wildflowers, and even that was fading.

Marco never thought he'd be depressed to see his family's guest bedroom again, only hosting the princess for a little longer. It was no longer Star's bedroom.

She changed, that week. She was more sullen and depressed. She ate dinner silently, using utensils, and she was always awake early, caring more about her appearance than Marco had ever seen before.

Star talked less, and when she did it hurt Marco's heart to hear her voice, the once melodic tune she sung replaced with one as bland as her beige curtains.

Her dresses became obviously more uncomfortable by the day, and one day she couldn't even sit down on the couch.

Marco wasn't sure if she was dying or just going back to Mewni. At this point the first option seemed more plausible.

She got the call on December 24th. Marco had convinced her to wear sweatpants and one of his hoodies that morning, claiming she may as well be comfortable for Christmas Eve. He thought she was much prettier when she wasn't trying so hard to be perfect. They had been sitting on the couch watching a terribly corny romance movie and Star had left the room, coming back in with tears in her sapphire eyes. Marco didn't need to ask what had happened. He just wrapped his arms around her and let her cry into the fabric of his sweatshirt, letting a few tears escape his own eyes. He ran his fingers through her long, tangled ponytail, kissing the top of her head gently.

It was at that moment Marco realized he loved her.

Not platonic love, like a sister or a close friend. It was much more of a romantic feeling, knowing that they'd done everything together. They'd gone to their first school dance together, they'd cried over heartbreak together, they'd even been each other's first kiss, and Marco didn't want their string of firsts to stop.

"I'm going to miss you." Star blubbered into his shirt, and he rubbed her back in consolation.

"I'm going to miss you too." he said, his voice cracking.

Star looked up, and Marco noticed the hearts on her cheeks slowly splitting down the middle as her tears fell down her face. If he had to describe the word heartbreaking, this would both figuratively and literally be what he would say.

Here was another first for Marco's list, the first girl he ever truly loved.

She was slipping through the cracks in his fingers and he couldn't very well let her leave without telling her how he felt, could he?

Marco opened his mouth to speak, and suddenly a portal was ripped open in his living room, Star's mother impatiently standing in the hall. His own parents stood by the pile of Star's bags, each holding a few but not wanting to let go.

"It's time." she said, softly, a tone Marco had never heard from Moon Butterfly.

"Well, I guess this is it." Star said, wiping the tears from under her eyes. "Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz. And Marco. You know, for everything."

She stood up, walking slowly towards the portal, before hearing a shrill "WAIT!"

She turned around, and Marco stood there holding a small box, wrapped perfectly in paper adorned with little trees and Santa hats.

"I, uh, well...my family does this thing where we open one present on Christmas Eve, and...well, I don't want you to leave just yet, so this is sort of me stalling you but also...yeah, you know...Merry Christmas." Marco said, handing the little box to Star. She eagerly ripped off the paper, to reveal a little white box with a little drawing on the front, obviously done by Marco. He wasn't the greatest artist but Star could tell that the stick figures on the front were supposed to be them, and as far as she knew they were hugging. Either that or strangling each other. She let out a laugh, smiling at the drawing.

"Nice work. C plus." she giggled, and Marco rolled his eyes.

"Open the box, you dork." he said. Star did, pulling out a little necklace, half of a heart on a chain.

"What is this?" she asked, and Marco pulled the other half out from under his itchy Christmas sweatshirt.

"I know it's corny and all, but I thought that maybe this would help me feel a little more connected to you." he said. "God, that was stupid."

"It's not stupid." Star replied, taking the necklace out of the box. "I love it, and..." she took a deep breath, finally letting the words she'd suppressed for so long escape. "I love you, Marco."

This is so bittersweet, Marco thought, she's leaving and apparently we've both secretly been in love with each other.

"I love you too." Marco said, pulling her in for what would have been a hug, but she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a quick kiss up against his cheek.

"I actually have a present for you too." Star said, reaching into her purse and digging around for a minute before pulling out her little mirror phone. She put it in Marco's hand, pressing up against his fingers to securely enclose it in his palm.

"Call me. Please." Star smiled, a couple of tears escaping her eyes. "The trans-dimensional reception isn't great but at least we can see each other."

Marco smiled, picking her up and hugging her tightly. "I promise." he replied. "Every day. Sometimes twice."

Marco's parents were giggling, pointing above his head, and Marco followed his mother's finger up to the mistletoe conveniently hung there.

"I didn't put that there." Marco mumbled in confusion, and a smile spread across Star's lips.

"I did." she said. "Marco, I knew that I would have to leave this week, and I didn't want to go without kissing you. For real this time."

"Star, I-" Marco started, and she pressed a finger up to his lips.

"This isn't a goodbye kiss." Star whispered. "It's more of a 'see you later'."

With that, she took his face in her hands and pressed her lips up against his, and suddenly her entire world began to disappear, the looming departure forgotten, the lurking eyes of their observing parents not important because this was finally the moment she'd been waiting for since they were fifteen and briefly pressed their lips together just to get each's first kiss out of the way.

This was so different. Not only did both of them have more... experience, but it was filled with a deep love and passion that the first time couldn't approach.

Star never wanted it to end, but like all good things it ceased at the worst moment.

"Goodbye." Marco murmured, and Star smiled through her tears.

"See you later." she said, stepping into the portal, and then she was gone.


End file.
